WHAT HAS TO BE PRESENT FOR IT TO BE THE 4TH OF JULY FOR YOU?

For my USA readers, I wonder how you would answer the title question.I love to ask it for all kinds of special days. What has to be present for Christmas, Ramadan, Cinco de Mayo, birthdays, name days——-More than the question, I love the answers.I wish we were all in a room together to share responses to any and all of these questions.My answers?–Memories of childhood 4th of July have to be present * Flags on every porch *Sparklers that were big and fat and burned for a long time * Snakes!! An odd pellet that burned and turned to a snake like ash and left a scar on the sidewalks which drove my dad nuts *Punks! Punks looked like a sparkler but burned slowly and smoked and kept mosquitoes away–if any were left after big trucks spread DDT from a blower (which we kids followed down the alley as it covered us in poison fumes, happy and dumb). *Blueberry pie made with a Crisco crust *Electric Fans going in every room *Dads at home for a holiday respected by blue collars employers *Sweaty games of flashlight tag at dusk as we waited for fire works and could stay up later than usual. *Fire works that were up close and loud and scary with everyone laying on their blankets giving out loud oohs and ash at the same time.–Today’s permutations? *Strawberry shortcake for sure *Sparklers that still delight me even if sort of puny *A discussion about whether to go to see fireworks and then always going even if the fireworks are muted and far away *Chalk to show grandchildren to play hopscotch and to teach them what a lagger was. (A lagger was your special rock or object to use to throw in the right box to get the right for your turn. Mine was a piece of a tar roof shingle. We did not mess with one another’s lagger) * Ladder golf * And, probably, at least one kale salad!!!We are a country based on a shocking experiment of self-government that many questioned. May we become better selves so that we may have better government and realize what a privilege it is to self-govern.